The Nanaimo Clippers have a playoff berth wrapped up, but they still have some work to do to earn home-ice advantage.
So a game this Friday (Feb. 22) between the second-place Clips and the third-place Alberni Valley Bulldogs looms large.
“We approach every game like it’s the biggest game of the year and this one is for us,” said Michael Olson, Clippers assistant coach.
Nanaimo is coming off back-to-back wins, and Olson said the Clippers have been showing they’re a resilient group. Alberni, meanwhile, has kept pace in the standings with a high-scoring style.
“They’re a team that can shoot the puck and [they] have a lot of team speed,” Olson said. “So how you counter that is you just play sound systematically.”
That means a grinding forecheck and a puck possession game, he said, and he thinks the Clippers players know what it will take.
“It’s going to be a good game and a good test for our team,” Olson said. “They’re coming in hot and so are we.”
GAME ON … Friday’s faceoff is 7 p.m. at Frank Crane Arena.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com